Ranya Rao’s Gold Smuggling Case: BJP Alleges Involvement Of Siddaramaiah Govt Ministers
Days after the arrest of actor Ranya Rao from Bengaluru airport in connection with gold smuggling, the BJP alleged that the actor approached ministers in the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government to wriggle out of trouble. State BJP chief BY Vijayendra stated that the alleged “blatant violation” of protocols, which reportedly allowed Ranya Rao to smuggle gold “could not have happened without the direct support of influential figures within the government.”
State BJP president Vijayendra shared a post on X in which he referred to media reports suggesting the involvement of a prominent minister in the matter, adding that these reports come as no surprise, “given this government’s track record of churning out scandals in increasingly ‘innovative’ ways”.
“The blatant violation of government protocols that allegedly enabled Ranya Rao to smuggle gold worth over Rs 12 crore – and possibly much more in the past – could not have happened without the direct support of influential figures within the government. If these reports are true, it raises serious questions about how deep this nexus runs,” the state BJP chief said.
“As Chief Minister, @siddaramaiah would have received intelligence reports pinpointing the suspected ministers and their involvement. Any attempt by the government to shield those responsible will only backfire, especially with the CBI now stepping in. The truth will come out, and any cover-up will only further expose the government’s complicity in this grievous offence,” Mr Vijayendra added.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Bharath Shetty told ANI, “The smuggling case is a definite crime. During the crime, she tried to contact various congress ministers to get out. Now it’s almost in the public domain that two ministers are involved and tried to help her get out of the case. Now, the CBI has taken hold of the case and surely something solid will come out. ”
Ranya Rao was arrested on March 3 by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at Kempegowda International Airport (KIAD) in Bengaluru for allegedly smuggling 14.8 kilograms of gold into India from Dubai.
